Rail-joint.



N. OKLEH. RAILJOINL 4APPLICATION FILED MAY 8.19l6.

1,241,653. Patented oen 2,1917.

E FLg/l E s ya a u u I ,rmJ-Ti--m ATTORNEYS.

pmi

l entran s'rafrns PATENT -onmcn NICHOLAS OKLER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed May 8, 1916.

To all whom it may conce/m:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS OKLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Aurora, Kane county, Illinois, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following .is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail chairs or rail joints, and one of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved structure of this character which will be simple, durable and reliable in construction, effective and etiicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another' object of my invention is to eliminate thenumerous bolts and nuts which are commonly used in rail joints and thus eliminate the` expense of maintenance and the danger of loose joints consequent upon the use of bolts and nuts.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved structure which can easily be installed by an unskilled workman and which will after being installed require very little. if any, maintenance.

yOther objects of my invention will appear hereinafter. l

My invention consists in the features of novelty exempliied in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawing and more particularly set forth in they appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rail joint or chair involving my invention, the ball of the rail being removed on the section line 1-1 `of Fig. 2 to more clearly disclose the parts therebelow;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through the rail and joint on the line 3-13 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on the line P-4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

' In the drawings I have shown two sections A and B of rail, the abutting end portions of which are arranged to be held in proper relation by a rail chair or joint involving my invention. rlhe head or ball of the rail section is represented at A1, the web portions at A2, and the base portions at A3. The structure which I have shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 191 '7.

Serial No. 96,006.

and which embodies my invention is preferably composed of two sections or members C and D which are identical in construction and which when placed in position are preferably of suliicient total length to span two of the ties E whiclrare usual and ordinary in railway track construction. Each of these sections has a base or foundation plate 1 which rests flat upon the ties and upon which the bases or flanges of the rail sections are solidly and firmly positioned. The entire base plate which is made up of two sections C and D placed together, forms a substantially flat rectangular construction. Thedividing line between the two base plate sections is centrally located with respect to the length of the structure, but this dividing line takes the form of a Z as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This dividing line has two parallel portions 3 and -it which are disposed out of alinement with each other, and a connecting or middle portion 5 disposed substantially at right angles to the portions 3 and Li, this dividing line being formed by the adjacent edges of the base plate sections. The edges of the base plate sections forming thc dividing line portions 3 and Li arc cmrespondingly beveled as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, but the bevel of the edges on the line 3 is opposite to that of the edges on the line 4. In consequence of which the base plate sections are, in a sense, positively interlocked against displacement out of the same plane but at the same time permit a ready separation of the sections by a longitudinal movement of the sections away from each other. The edges of the base plate sections forming the right angled connecting portion 5 of the dividing line, however, merely form a butt joint and are not beveled. There is a slight clearance between the beveled edges on the line p0rtions 3 andlt whereas the edges on the eon necting line portion 5 abut, hence any force applied longitudinally to the sections C and D of the structure to move the sections toward each other operates to exert a transverse force which I utilize to cause the sections C and D to tightly grip the rail sections and will be later described.` This transverse or gripping force is brought about by the action of the edges of the base plate sections forming the angled connecting portion 5 of the dividing line. In other words, these edges at the connecting por tion 5 act, because of their angular' relation to force` the base plate sections laterally On each side of n with respect to the rail. the rail I provide gripping or clamping members or cheek plates A5 and B5. 'Ifhese members substantially conform to the anglev in iFigs. l and S-the .gripping member A54 is .integrally formed .as -a part vof the .base plate .section 11,--thisbeing joined to the face plate sectionnthe outer edge thereof. In like manner the gripping member B5 yis integrally joined a-longthe outeredge ofthe base .plate .section 2. The vprojecting vend of each gripping lmember A5 fand =B5 has the edge "r"PL ,of .its portion .7 tapered longin tudinally which is adapted. to .coperate with .the conrespon'ding :edge .71.fof.an upstanding .flange or Wedge fmember 9 .of the other base plate section. Thus when ithe base .plate g sections ,are lforced longitudinally toward .each other they `carry with themv their corresponding clamping ,or gripping members, and the edges fa and 7" :operate as eWedges Vto force the gripping` members laterallyftoward leach other and into .gripping engagement `with itheirzail. Since these Wedges and both ends of' the structure l are identical `the .action fthereo'f will be identical at both .ends so :far yafs-'the lgrippingfof the rail is concerned. Asa furtherprecaution against any .chance `of relative .displacement of lthe edges .7- and 7b `with respect to each other, t-hey are also :beveled or undercut vas shown clearly in Fig. 5. Itis thus seen thatwhen ajoint in the rail is to. be ,made the tivo .ends of the .railsections areiabutted together with the ,rail sections 1in alinement and lthe .tivo lsections C and D of the .chair structure are placed .in proper relative Aposition r.with their lWedges y7a-and .7b lin .en-y gagement l The .sections C and D are rithen driven .a sledge ihammer .or yother suitable instrument longitudinally toward each other until r:they `are tightly inter-wedged and inter-locked, .so .to speak. By ,reason Vof the several YWedge actions :heretofore described the .gripping members Will be forced into extremely firm -frictiona'l (engagement vwith the rail sections and tightly holdvthe rail sections in place. As aprecaution .against the loosening ofthe sections C andD with respect :to :each other, and to the rai-l sections, I provide` a, ylocking arrangement. By

reference to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 4, it Will be seen that the horizontal `por-tion 7 ofthe VJgripping members has'a spike hole l0 and the base plate is also provided With a spike hole l1. As shown clearly .in Fig. 4L, these holes are adapted to almost register when the sections/Grand D .havebeenidriventogether as tightly as possible. By driving a spike l2. down through the holes .l0 and Lvl .and `in-tothe tie thenction of .the .spike oni-the .Walls :of1the i holes .10 and all =tends'.to .draw :the sections C and D `still .far-ther .into engagement. The spikes '-12 `thus :lock the plates :against any retrogressive or loosening movement and by construotingthe .holesplO .and yl1 of the V.pro-per size .and unproper relation las shown inl Figgl fthe .fdriviing of ;the spike serves toy further ydraw .the vsections C .and li) toward .each other. :Iiprefer .thatthe gripping members actually .engageeand grip At these points V:they

This clearance, of .course are enlarged or thickenedfas.shown clearly in F fItavillbefnoted alsoby referencev to Fig. l that the upper edges .for lgripping faces le off the-@gripping members arecurved longitudinally .so as to `provide aslight graduating clearance from the-center to the ends y.Of `.the gripping nmembers. `In the drawing .this clearance -is extremely -eX- aggerated merely for lthe punpose of SeX planation but it should be giustsuch @thatit'he gripping action .on the rails begins, kso to speak, at .the end ,portions .of Ithe gripping members ladj acent ,the Wedges. The fSDring oineliLStjicit-y ofthe metal operates to permit the central .portions of the .ilipping members to exert a gripping action.. upon the rail, and this force is applied to the gripnine :members .at their central portions fby the-action .ofthe central Wedge fonmed .by the abutting edges ofthe base plate sections o n the diwiding `line 5., It will. lthus .be seen that I have entirely dispensed With. the necessity of, bolts and nuts for clamping the ordinary so-called iish plates t0 ythe rails, and I .have alsodispensd with the necessity of boring bolt `xholes .in the .end pont'ions o-f the rail sections. At the .Same time I have employed a powerful lgripping mechanism which.v will ijiust as effectively 're tain the .rail section in place .and avill, because of .the fact ithat longitudinal .mouement of Ythe Irails .willl have no .eifectkupon the gripping action permit of the expansion and contraction of the rails during the various seasons without in any way loosening the joint. After the joint has beenassembled and locked by the spikes'lQ the entire structure may then be firmly fastened to the ties E by means of additional spikes 15 in the ordinary manner. The wedge portions 9 at the side edges of the base plate sections are further strengthened by ribs or webs 9a preferably formed integral with the structure. It will be noted also that the entire joint structure is made'up of only two pieces of metal, each section or piece C and D having` all of its parts cast integrally.

I claim:

1. In a rail joint of the class described, the combination of a base plate comprising a seat for the rail and divided into two sections, on an angularly disposed line providing a wedge action between the two sections and operating to force the sections toward the rail when said sections are moved longitudinally, a clamping member formed on each section of said base plate and eX- tending along the web of the rail, and having a wedge surface adjacent one end, a cooperating wedge surface on the other section of the base plate, said wedge portion being operable to force the clamping members in engagement with the web of the rail when the base plate sections are forcedy longitudinally of each other.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of a base member divided on an irregular line into two divisions, portions of the edges of said divisions being beveled in opposite direction' to form an interlock to prevent relative displacement of the sections, a wedge member on each base plate division on the side of the rail opposite to that on the other base plate division, a clamping member formed integral with each base plate division and having a wedge portion adapted to coperate with the wedge portion of the other base plate division whereby to grip the rail between said clamping members, and means for locking the base plate divisions against retrogressive movement.

3. In a rail joint, the combination of a base member divided on an irregular line into two divisions, portions of the edges of said divisions being beveled in opposite direction to form an interlock to prevent relative displacement of the sections, a wedge member on each base plate division on the side of the rail opposite to that on the other base plate division, a clamping member formed integral with each base plate division and having a wedge portion adapted to cooperate with the wedge portion of the other base plate division whereby to grip the rail between said clamping members, said clamping members having gripping surfaces formed to grip the rails at the end portions thereof.

4. In a rail joint, the combination of a pair of rail web gripping members disposed on opposite sides of the rail web and having their gripping faces formed to grip the rail web at the end portions initially of said gripping members and then gradually the other portions toward the center thereof by the spring of the material, a base member for each gripping member having a wedge surface coperating with a like wedge surface of the other member at substantially the central portion of the joint and operating' to bring the central portions of the gripping members against the rail web, a wedge portion formed at the end of each gripping member arranged to coperate with a wedge portion formed at the end of the base member of the other gripping member and operating to force the end portions of said gripping members into engagement with the rail.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 4th day of May, 1916.

NICHOLAS OKLER.

Witnesses:

E. H. CLEGG, IGNAon TnsAnE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

